A toy is described which has one or more appendages which contact the medium supporting the toy and move in a first direction at a slow velocity and then in a second direction at a rapid velocity to move the toy with respect to the supporting medium. The toy is continuously moved with respect to the medium by repetition of the movement of the appendages between the first and second directions.
The movement of frogs can be quite fascinating and a series of toys have been developed which attempt to mimic this movement. The frog is capable of moving both on land and in the water. Previous toys and associated devices such as fishing lures have mimicked either one or the other of these movements but not both.
For water movement, i.e., swimming, several toys and/or patents are known which imitate what is commonly referred to as the "frog kick". This movement is based on flexure of the frog's legs at its knees when the legs are brought forward followed by extensions of the frog's legs at its knees when the legs are brought backward for the propelling stroke. U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,830 describes such a frog. The legs are moved by the interaction of a crank pin with linking arms attaching to the inside ends of the frog's legs. The knees of the frog are freely pivotable within the limits of certain stop pins. Another aqueous frog is described U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,316 directed to a fishing lure. The legs of this frog do not simulate a frog kick but the propulsion mechanism is quite unique. It is based on a chemical tablet which reacts with water to produce a gas. The gas thus produced fills a chamber. When the chamber contains a sufficient quantity of gas it pivots upwardly within the body of the frog and the bell crank mechanism attached to the chamber pulls the hind legs forward via connecting rods extending between the bell crank and the pivotally mounted hind legs.
Several patents are known which describe frog-like toys capable of movement on solid surfaces. Included in these are U.S. Pat. No. 2,535,868 which utilizes elastic bands to move hinge plates on which the caricature of a frog is either stamped or reproduced. Another such frog described in U.S. Pat. No. 753,108 has both movable front and rear legs. A small spring motor drives several crank disks. Interacting with the crank disks is a trigger which is capable of inhibiting the disks from rotating in certain instances and allowing them to rotate in other instances. The action of the legs of the frog described in this patent propels it forward and when it lands the trigger is released which again propels the frog forward.
In U.S. Pat. No. 224,375 another such frog is described which utilizes a Pitman connecting between a crank attached to a spring motor and a lever arm attached to the legs to drive the frog. This frog incorporates a mechanism which locks the Pitman when the frog is originally set in an upright position but releases the Pitman if the frog is bumped or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 1,673,772 describes a toy frog which has a spring motor located inside which is movable within the interior of the frog. The hind legs of the frog are pivotally mounted to the motor housing via a shaft. Also located on the shaft are two levers. A spring is attached to one lever between it and the housing and a second lever interacts with a rotating cam disk. The second lever is replaced by the cam disk which tenses the spring and when the lever slips by the cam disk the spring causes the rear legs to propel the frog.
All of the above described toy frogs or fishing lures are capable of movement on land or water but are not uniquely designed to move in both. It is considered that because of the obvious utilitarian aspects with regard to play value of toy frogs, a toy frog which would be useable by a child either on a solid surface or in a body of water would be very desirable.